Serena Williams took the stage as the host of the ESPYs and made headlines with her pointed remarks. While addressing the audience, Serena took a subtle swipe at NFL kicker Harrison Butker.
Earlier in the evening, Butker was photographed arriving in a suit and bow tie at the awards show. It’s unclear how Butker reacted to Serena’s comment. The kicker recently faced backlash after giving the commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas, where he encouraged female graduates to become homemakers who raise children. This speech sparked national controversy, particularly among professional women.
While on stage, Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, addressed the crowd with a powerful statement: “So, go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports.”
Serena, who brought her charisma to the event, also delivered a humorous monologue about WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark at another point in the show. She joked, “You are the Larry Bird in that you are an amazing player, you have ties to Indiana, and white people are really crazy about you.”
